Proverbs 31:13-15
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.....I am struck with some stomach issues this morning and I'm not feeling so grand!!! I'm sure it's just the change in my diet...so no worries. I have listings and things to do,today and I need to go to the gym, this afternoon and I have choir practice this evening. Another one of those days!!
So let's get back to Proverbs 31. This scripture blesses me, every time I read and meditate upon it. I hope it blesses you, as well. Last night, I watched "19 Kids and Counting" on TLC and I just have to say that Michelle Duggar emulates the picture of a quiet, gentle spirit. I strive to be like that and I am trying...I'm just still rough around the edges and soft in the middle. I'll get there, but for now, I am blessed! Okay, let's get to it.....
Proverbs 31:13
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
In Biblical times, wool and flax were spun and woven into fabrics for clothing and bedding. Sometimes, a family could farm their own wool or flax or both. Sometimes, it had to be purchased. Now days, we don't have to seek out our wool and our flax and weave or spin our own textiles, we just go to Walmart and pick up what we need. I apply this verse to my life by always looking for the best bargain, when it comes to buying clothing (or anything, for that matter). Unless I really need something for a specific purpose or things like underclothes, socks and Mark's work shirts, I buy second hand. If I buy new, it's almost always off season and clearance priced. I also use eBay, as well. I willingly work with my hands, a great deal, as well. I make my own bread and desserts like cookies and cakes. I do as much scratch cooking as I can. I make my own curtains and I am learning to garden, while living in a small home, with no usable soil (we live on dirt filmed rocks). When we work with our hands, we can see the fruits of our labor. Things like dusting, washing dished, mopping the floor, scrubbing the tub....are all working with our hands.....we must make sure that our attitudes are correct, so that we are doing it, willingly. This is still a challenge for me, but it's getting a little easier. I put some music on and go to town and suddenly, it's more like fun with a little exercise, than work....

She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
I do this every month......We live in a small community! The grocery and hardware stores in town are much too expensive for anything more than spot shopping or emergencies. So we have to travel about 45 miles, to our nearest Walmart Supercenter, once a month for our groceries. I have been sailing my merchant car for quite a few years now. It's a service to my husband and my home, because I can save money. It also gives me a greater understanding of what it truly means to serve. Grocery shopping is work!!! I drive to the store....I shop, make the decisions, look for the best prices, load the cart with my choices.....I put all of the groceries on the belt at the checkout, making sure to group all of the like items together. I put the bags in the cart, push the heavy cart to the car....I load the car....drive home....I unload the car and put all of the groceries away!! Thankfully, it's only once a month!!

She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
Every morning, Monday through Friday, I get up between 4:30 and 5:00 to provide my family with food. Mark works far away!! 96 miles north of where we live!! I get up, put on my shoes and make his coffee, make and pack his lunch and fill his commuter cups before he leaves. If he ever wanted a hot breakfast, I'd make that for him as well. (I have offered many times, but he declines, each time I offer) When Mariah stays with us, in the summer, I provide her with a good breakfast as well. No one cooks in my kitchen, but me. If someone needs a snack, I'll fix them one. All they need to do is ask. It is my duty to see to the comfort and needs of the people in my life. I don't have any maidservants, but if I did, they'd be taken care of too.
Having a servant's heart is a rare gift. God calls us, as women, to want to serve our households....It is something to be commended, especially in this self-serve age in which we live. It is something I learned when I was very young and believe it or not, it is a great pleasure for me, to serve others. I am the oldest daughter of a servant wife. I can't see it as being a drudgery or an inconvenience. I believe that it is the duty of a virtuous wife, to have a servant's heart. I have seen many wives who do not serve their families....They go out to jobs, everyday, leaving their children and husband to fend for themselves. Then, when they get home from work, they're so tired, they retire to seclusion to read and comfort themselves and take no interest in their homes or the lives of their families and that's just sad!! Yes, things would be better, financially for us, if I were working a job, but at what cost?? I do what I can, to make a little extra money, here and there and God meets our needs, as long as we are trusting Him for our everything. I don't want to seem critical, over this, but yes, I do believe a woman's place is in the home.
Well, here's to another day serving the Lord and each other!! I wish you much joy on this Wednesday and hope that it brings you nothing but flowers. I am off, to happily toil in my kitchen. Remember that I love you and if you need prayer, please leave me a comment and I'll put you on my prayer list. Thanks for sharing my quiet time, with me....and love as He loves!!
In Him!!
Lisa